Attorney David Bond said Barbara Ernst and Barbara Supeno, who have been partners for 21 years and are known to friends as “The Barbaras,” moved to their lakefront Vermont property in 2004. Bond said the women have yet to receive a warm welcome.

“It's entirely based on their sexual orientation,” Bond said. “Neighbors insulted them, made obscene gestures to them. There were dead animals left on their property.”

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, Bond claims town leadership tried to push the women out of town.

The women’s property, which abuts Lake Champlain, along with neighboring plots, were the topic of discussion at two zoning meetings, but Bond said his clients were never informed.

The complaint said the couple filed numerous issues with the town regarding neighbors and zoning regulations. Bond said the town purposely refused to respond to their grievances, particularly concerning the environment.

In 2008, the women put up a fence because of ongoing threats, which Bond said adhered to the town’s requirements. Still, he said, two public meetings were held about the fence and the town failed to notify his clients.

Other zoning issues revolved around a handicap ramp set up at the home for Supeno’s mother, Bond said. In the complaint, Bond said the town clerk refused to accept an application the town required Supeno to file or face a $100 fine.

Over the course of the decade, Ernst and Supeno’s assessed property has tripled.

Bond said his clients have also been intimidated by anonymous bullies.

In April 2011, a letter circulated around town saying Ernst and Supeno were scam artists.

The letter, titled “The truth about The Barbaras,” reads in part, “It has been over 6 years that the Subject two women have been passing themselves off as involved citizens and very concerns about the town direction and in particular with Zoning, the school and the environment. Beware: This is a totally phony perception that they have fabricated is a front to cover their devious and vicious behavior.”

A year later, Bond said a Middlebury, Vt., lawyer received a letter purportedly from Ernst and Supeno claiming the couple would not pay him for his services.

“We just thought we would give you a heads up as to our past games with previous attorneys in the state of VT and also lawyers in Middlebury,” the letter reads in part. “We love to play head games with them and give them a run for their money.” Ernst and Supeno said they sent no such letter.

Then, a homophobic slur was spray-painted outside of the town offices. It’s not specifically directed at Ernst and Supeno, but they believe it is.

Select board chair Jeff Kaufmann, who is named as a defendant in the complaint, said the expletive has been removed.

Kaufmann, who was also Addison’s zoning and planning administrator and is a Baptist minister, Bond said, declined to comment about the case Wednesday.

He said he had yet to review the paperwork as WPTZ had informed him earlier in the day of the civil suit.

Also named as plaintiffs in the case are Kaufmann’s wife and two former neighbors of Ernst and Supeno.

The six counts named in the complaint are defamation, false light invasion of privacy, tortious interference with prospective business relations, sexual orientation discrimination, common law retaliation and violations of common benefits clause.